Bath beaten at the death
An 80th minute try from wing Timoci Nagusa saw Montpellier claim their first Heineken Cup victory 24-22 against Bath.
Last Updated: 14/01/12 4:34pm
An 80th minute try from wing Timoci Nagusa saw Montpellier claim their first Heineken Cup victory of the campaign courtesy of a 24-22 triumph over Bath.
Bath were in front on three occasions and looked to be on their way to a morale-boosting win in the Pool Three dead rubber when Matt Banahan crossed nine minutes from the end, but Nagusa's effort condemned the visitors to an eighth defeat in nine games.
Both teams were playing for little more than pride, but Montpellier quickly signalled their intentions as Pierre Berard broke down the wing to score in the opening minute.
Bath responded through an Olly Barkley penalty, however they were frustrated as the half progressed as their dominance failed to yield the points they deserved.
Clever
That changed in the final minute of the half. With Nagusa in the sin bin, Bath took full advantage as a driving maul from a lineout saw Gary Caldwell cross for a 10-7 interval lead.
Beneoit Paillaugue restored parity shortly after the restart, but despite having prop David Wilson yellow-carded, Ian McGeechan's side went back in front when Irish lock Caldwell crossed for his second try.
Again, Montpellier levelled, replacement Alex Tulou scoring within five minutes of his introduction, but Bath looked to have secured the win when Francois Louw put Banahan over in the corner.
However, Montpellier had the final say, a clever chip putting Nagusa in, with Martin Bustos Moyana coverting to secure a first Heineken Cup win.
